


One of us

by lunaemoth



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Light Dom/sub, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 01:51:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3632166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaemoth/pseuds/lunaemoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were 101 people sent to Earth. Bellamy never put a foot in jail. Clarke stayed in isolation. Neither of them understood what it meant to be a Delinquent.<br/><i>“You and the princess,” Monroe started more detached, “you might know more things than us but you’re still outsiders.”</i> </p><p>Grounders are a problem but hygiene and health are more pressing.<br/><i>“There are ten girls with their periods right now and we wanted to know if you have any brilliant ideas to deal with that.”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	One of us

**Author's Note:**

> The OFC isn't really one but an unnamed character that I decided to develop, she's the one seen kissing Bellamy in Earth Skills (you know, when he's shirtless) and she's played by [Nicole Hombrebueno](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4388034/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm). I chose one name in the [list of Delinquents on The 100 wikia](http://the100.wikia.com/wiki/Delinquents) for her.
> 
> NB: I'm french and this is unbeta-ed. If you see any horrible mistake, feel free to tell me nicely in a comment with a correction and I'll be happy to edit it.

Bellamy’s first night on Earth was short. After taking care of Wells’ wristband, he had claimed a makeshift bed but hadn’t slept much. The noises alone were so different: no more engine hum but wind, birds and insects… Most of them had risen with the sun, barely rested and hungry.

For a few hours, Bellamy went on with his plan to gather and organize people around him. He had to establish his position by being proactive. That was his best chance. After he sent Murphy and Mbege to scout the surrounding area, some noise and movement behind the dropship caught his attention. He found Atom, one of his new recruits, near the commotion and asked : “What’s going on?”  

Atom pointed upwards: “Some girls thought to use the parachute to make tents. It’s caught in the trees. They’re trying to get it down.”

The trees were tall and strong, surviving the rough landing with some scorch marks and broken branches. Between the roots of the one holding most of the parachute, one girl with light brown hair was looking up. Bellamy stopped beside her and followed her gaze. He first caught sight of one taller girl then another one climbing higher and higher. He whistled appreciatively. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d thought they had climbed trees all their life.”

The girl glanced at him, a bit defiantly. “Roma is used to climbing scaffoldings. Shalia is just agile."

“Yeah? I can see that. How did they make it to the first branch?” The first one that could bear the weight of a human was at least eight feet high.

“I gave them a leg up,” Atom explained as he stepped forward.

Bellamy glanced at him thoughtfully. “Did you?”

Atom nodded. His lips were pinched, as if he was getting ready to be told off. When nothing came, he pointed his chin at the girl: “This is Monroe.”

With her hands in her pockets, Monroe stared at Bellamy intensely.

He raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

She hummed before shrugging and looking up again. “Just something Shalia said.”

Bellamy decided to bite. He needed to know what the rest of the delinquents thought of him to stay on top. “What?”

“That you and the princess are our best chances, which means a lot about how screwed we are.”

Bellamy snorted. “Very positive point of view.”

Shouts from above interrupted them and they squinted to see the two girls on opposite sides of the tree, pulling on the parachute. Some of it slid down but most of it stayed stuck. “Monroe? Can you keep the fabric taut? We need to cut it!”

“On it!” Monroe shouted back as she ran to catch the part of the parachute on the ground. Two other girls stepped forward and asked if they could help. Between the three of them, they handled the heavy material.

“That’s Harper and Fox,” Atom told Bellamy, “they all listen to Shalia a lot. She's smart. Most often she stays quiet, but I wouldn’t get on her bad side if I were you.”

Bellamy hummed thoughtfully. He had noticed that a lot of those kids were in small groups of friends, but he hadn’t seen yet any sort of real factions or leaders, which was why it was so easy for him to be heard. It wouldn’t do to forget that they knew each other though. “Why was she in prison?”

“Why do you ask?” Atom replied, frowning.

Bellamy had never asked before, knowing better than to prod a subject who could alienate them. If she was a risk to his authority however, she was different. He gave Atom his best ‘stop questioning me and fess up’ stare.

“Someone got killed in an accident she caused unintentionally. She was twelve.”

“And now she is…?”

“Eighteen in… one week, I think? She has been in prison longer than any other. She knows everything about everyone.”

Bellamy nodded thoughtfully. He knew what he had to do, but he still had a question.... “Why do you know so much about her?”

It was nearly cute how the guy tried to appear nonchalant and failed. “We… ah… we were together for a while, if you can call it like that while in jail,” he mumbled.

“You still like her?”

Atom shrugged. “Like? Yeah. Nothing more.”

The parachute suddenly dropped on the three unsuspecting girls on the ground and the two climbers started their descent. Bellamy asked Atom which one they were talking about and his eyebrows went up as he observed her. Tanned skin, slender and nimble limbs, long black hair… The girl was only wearing a sports bra and cargo pants. From what he could see, her abs were nearly more defined than his. “So, I take it she’s free?” Bellamy threw at Atom, snorting at the gaping he received in answer.

Roma – not ugly either – was the first to come down. Atom caught her and stabilized her. Bellamy stepped forward as Shalia took her place on the last branch. Their eyes met. He could see the cogs turning in her pretty head as she wondered whether or not she could trust him. He raised his hands in a silent promise that he would catch her. She let herself fall. He caught her easily, hands on each side of her waist, the tip of his fingers nearly brushing. She was light – considering her height, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Later, he’ll remember that prisoners were the last ones served with rations, the first to starve when there was a shortage, and he’ll wonder what that would do to a twelve years old girl going through puberty. The answer might have something to do with her small bust and the ribs he could see too easily.

Right now, his mind was on another matter.

“Thanks,” she said, stepping away.

“You’re welcome. You had a good idea, about tents.”

She nodded in thanks, looking at him sideways warily.

He softened his body language as much as possible. “Would you mind keeping me one? Relatively big.”

She shifted slightly, straightening with her shoulders back and her chin high. “I could… but I wouldn’t have the time to make my own tent today, then. That requires trade.”

He gave her a lopsided smile. “If the tent is done by tonight, you’re welcome to sleep there for the night and tell me what you want in exchange.” He let her stare to her heart content, pointedly not looking away.

She brushed by him, their shoulders touching, as she walked to her friends. “We’ll see.”

*

A few hours later, Bellamy passed by the dropship to see Shalia at work. She was hanging a piece of parachute above the open door. “Curtains, really?” he joked, hands on his hips.

She looked down from her perch and rolled her eyes at him. “Do you want your tent or what?”

He laughed softly. “It’s a good idea,” he reassured her, “a makeshift door to stop the rain and give a bit of privacy, right?”

“That’s the idea, yeah.” She sat on the edge with her legs hanging. “Catch me?”

“Is that going to become a habit?” He raised his hands anyway and broke her fall. He didn’t miss the way she faltered slightly, swaying on her feet for a few seconds.

With her hands on his shoulders, she pretended nothing was wrong and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know. Will I have to do all your work, oh mighty leader?”

“You have a good head for details. All leaders need a bit of help sometimes.”

“Keep that in mind,” she advised, patting his shoulder before stepping back. “You’re here at the right time, I have some ideas for your tent but I need your swagger.”

She led him inside the dropship and explained what she wanted to take. Bellamy nodded, grabbed the two guys blocking Shalia’s way by their collars and threw them out. “Need anything else?”

She snorted. “No, as long as they let me work, I think I can get the basics done before sunset.”

Bellamy nodded and saw Atom looking inside, probably wondering why two guys were running away. “Atom, make sure everyone let Shalia work in peace,” he ordered, satisfied when he received a simple nod and Atom closed the curtain. Smart guy. Bellamy looked back at the resourceful woman as she swayed slightly and tried to cover it by sitting down. “Hey.” He stepped forward and put a knuckle under her chin. “Did you eat today?”

She shrugged. “Like everyone, a few berries at most. Fox isn’t bad with edible Earth foods.”

He nodded. Until Octavia and the princess came back with Mountain Weather’s rations, they couldn’t afford much more. He took a small flask from his back pocket and gave it to her. “Here, drink, you look parched after playing monkey.”

She wrinkled her nose but gratefully swallowed a mouthful of rainwater. Bellamy raised the flask to encourage her to take another one. If he wanted her to finish before nightfall, he had to make sure she wouldn’t faint first.

He crouched down in front of her and took back the flask as she licked her lips to catch the last drops. Their eyes met, and she grabbed him by the front of his shirt to draw him forward. That’s what he was waiting for. He leaned between her legs. Their lips brushed lightly. Her hands went to his hair, and he pulled her closer by the waist, their kiss deepening as their bodies warmed each other. Her skin was unbelievably soft considering the hellish conditions she went through. His hands explored her belly with light caresses. A ripple under his hands made him smirk. “Ticklish, are you?”

“Don’t you dare,” she mumbled against his cheek, stroking under his shirt in retaliation.

With a chuckle, Bellamy withdrew just long enough to take off his shirt – carefully putting his gun away at the same time. “Go on, I’m not.”

She ended up on his lap for a long make-out session, apparently determined to explore all his skin to find a ticklish spot. Her determination made him chuckle when he wasn’t busy sucking at her neck.

A noise reminded them of the outside. Shalia moved back and looked down at his crotch. “Do you need me to…?”

“It’s fine. Tonight?” he offered. As fun as that had been, it was Wells’ voice he was hearing outside and it was enough to calm his enthusiasm. He put back the gun to his belt and stood up. Satisfied by Shalia’s nod, he walked out to step in Wells and Atom’s discussion.

Shalia followed him and lingered just long enough to silently ask for a kiss. Of course, he had been too short as he left. His bad. The prince was annoying him. With a hand on the small of her back to reassure her, he kissed her briefly and watched as she left, pleased.

That done, he turned back to Wells. The prince needed a reminder of how things worked down here.

*

Late in the evening, after dealing with Atom kissing his little sister, Bellamy wasn’t in a good mood. When someone called him, he turned around with a growled “What?!” Shalia stepped back with a guarded look. Shit. Scaring her was a bad idea. He sighed and rubbed his face. “Sorry. What do you want?” he asked more calmly.

She tilted her head towards the back of the camp, behind the fireplace, near the dropship but not too exposed. “Your tent is ready.”

“That’s the best news of the day,” he sighed, putting an arm around her shoulders and kissing her forehead to make up for his harshness. “Show me.”

She led him in a white and red circular tent, high enough to stand in. The inside was sparse, but she had created a makeshift bed and several pieces of furniture, like she had planned. With just the light coming from the fire, he couldn’t see much but everything looked sturdy, well-built. “Hell, monkey, I wasn’t expecting that good.”

Arms crossed (the night was colder and she had covered herself up with a black leather jacket too big for her, cinched at the waist with a large belt), she glared at him but there wasn’t much venom in it. “You’re going to call me that whether I like it or not, right?”

He smirked. “Got it in one.”

“Whatever,” she sighed. “It took us a while to get the hang of it, but I think we succeeded… Well, you’re the test anyway. If we made a mistake, we’ll know when it will fall on your head,” she noted cheerfully.

He laughed. “Yeah? Are you ready to take that risk with me?”

She bit her bottom lip and shrugged nonchalantly. “If it falls, I’ll use you as a shield. You still owe me.”

“Fair enough.” He sat on the thin mattress and opened his arms to Shalia. She straddled his lap. Her hands went from his shoulders to his hair and Bellamy groaned when she rubbed at the back of his neck. “Do that again.”

“A bit tense, aren’t you?” She obliged him, her thumbs kneading his aching muscles thoroughly.

“We all had two rough days,” he mumbled, eyes closed. The image of the chancellor as he shot him was printed on his eyelids. Bellamy immediately opened his eyes and stared at Shalia to stay grounded. Her long black hair was falling down on her shoulders but most of it was tied back in a complex hairdo. He played with the free strands for a while, before tugging at her belt. “You’re swimming in this,” he noted.

“Yeah, but I like it, it’s warm,” she said while taking off her jacket.

Her tanned skin was free for him to kiss and caress. As he brushed her slender wrists, she hissed slightly, diverting his attention to the mark left by her wristband. He remembered that she had worn it while in the tree but not in the dropship. He kissed the soft skin before nuzzling under her ear. “You’ve been a good girl for me?” he whispered low. He could feel her shiver slightly and her breath hitched when he nibbled at her earlobe before sucking on it.

“I don’t care much about anyone on the Ark,” she murmured. She pulled on his T-shirt, but he caught her hands and pulled them behind her back, keeping them there with one hand. She leaned against him, her cheek resting against his, her quickened breath brushing his hair.

He kissed her temple. “So you agree with me?”

“No,” she replied simply. He moved back, surprised by the change of pace, but Shalia only shrugged. “I think that Griffin’s right, that we’ll need the Ark sooner or later, and I think you believe it too. I don’t know why you’re so against the idea of them getting down here but, like I said, I don’t care.” She shrugged and leaned towards him. “My priority is that I’m cold and you keep me warm. Kiss me.”

He was taken aback and reminded of Atom’s warning, about her smartness, but he recovered quickly. He could deal with her stance. As long as she didn’t oppose him, it was fine – but it’ll probably be wise to keep her away from the princess, he mused. He had to keep her on his side. “Tut tut, and you were doing so well,” he only kissed the corner of her lips, smirking when she wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

She shifted her hips, pushing herself closer to his crotch, rubbing their bodies enticingly. Though his breath hitched, Bellamy nibbled at her ear and stayed away from her lips. She sighed. “Kiss me, please.”

“There, much better,” he whispered before giving her what she wanted until she was breathless and relaxed. “Now, let’s get you warm up.” His free hand rubbed the small of her back as he kissed the tip of her nose. When he let her go, she kept her hands put. He took off his shirt, kissed her forehead and nudged her. “Pants off.”

Once they were both in their underwear, Shalia laid down on her back, shivering slightly. Bellamy covered her. She crossed her legs and arms behind him to keep him close. Her shivers subsided as their skins brushed against each other and brought warmth and comfort. As they kissed, she still clung to him. He chuckled against her neck. “Are you taking me for a tree, little monkey?”

“Well, you’re tall like one and no-one bothers me when I’m in your branches, so… you do a pretty good impression of one,” she teased, scraping her nails along his back and sliding her cold feet along his thighs.

Bellamy’s fingers went under her bra and flicked her nipples. She let out a little sound, a little sigh, and from then on there was no more talking involved other than a few encouragements on his part. Shalia was getting quieter the further she was aroused.

It was peculiar enough that he had to ask after they caught their breath: “You alright?” He knew that she had come. She had been so silent that there was no faking it: only the ripple of her muscles and a louder sigh had tipped him off.

She just nodded which, once again, made him wonder. Her body language seemed positive: she curled around him and snuggled close, though she was licking her lips repetitively. He bent over her with an arm around her back to rummage in his pants’ pockets. He found his flask and put it under her nose until she took it with both hands. He watched silently as she drank by very small mouthfuls then raised it to him, looking at him bashfully. He drank as she held it.

When he put the flask away, they had cooled down enough that he pulled on a small blanket to cover them while keeping her close. “Are you always so quiet afterwards?” he asked, just to be sure. She nodded against his collarbone. He settled down. “Alright. Sleep well.”

 

Personally, he did sleep well. The tent still wasn’t ideal but it was a great improvement from his previous night. Shalia’s body warmth was a perfect comfort too. For the night, he managed to forget all the rest, which was a good feat. Daylight woke him up early, but the tent dampened it enough that he wasn’t the first: he could hear others walking around.

Shalia snuggled closer to him when he moved. He decided to allow them a little more time, at least enough for her to wake up on her own, which didn’t take long. “Morning,” she murmured against his arm, stubbornly keeping her eyes shut.

He stroked her back and played with her hair. “Morning.” After a few more minutes, the sounds of a waking camp convinced Bellamy to move. He had a hundred people to feed.

*

The day after hadn’t started as well and that… was the understatement of the century.

When Shalia jogged to meet him, he knew what she wanted and prepared himself.

“Is it true?” she asked, wide-eyed.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

White as a sheet, she covered her face, eyes tightly closed, breathing heavily. There were none of the sobbing and screaming he was expecting but she looked ready to crumble. “Come on,” he said with a hand under her elbow to lead her in his tent, a few steps away. Once inside, he hugged her and let her cling to his jacket, her face buried against his collarbone.

Atom’s body covered by acid burns wasn’t a sight he would forget soon, and his pleading to kill him was haunting him. He wasn’t sure he could have done what Clarke did so… neatly.

His thoughts went to Octavia. For a few seconds, he wished that she was the one he was comforting. He wished that he could protect her from this pain.

“Sorry,” Shalia mumbled as she dried her tears.

“Don’t be.” He smoothed her hair. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She shrugged, looking defeated. “You know, sometimes I feel like I grew up in prison and it’s not…” She chuckled darkly. “It’s not like I could meet the best and brightest guys there, except for a few exceptions. Atom was the first boy that I felt I could trust.”

“How long were you together?”

“Five months. We decided to break up two months ago, after a guard saw us and started to make our life harder. Romance in jail is not really glamour, let me tell you,” she said, trying to inject a bit of humor in her voice.

Bellamy gave her a small smile and kissed her forehead.

“I… I heard that he was… that he and your sister were…” She exhaled heavily. “Do you think she’ll like it if I go talk to her?”

Surprised by the offer, Bellamy wasn’t sure of the correct answer. “Maybe later?”

She nodded. “Yeah, you’re right, I think I’d like to be alone for a while too. Thanks Bellamy.”

 

Later in the evening, Bellamy caught sight of Shalia walking to Octavia. His sister looked guarded and reluctant at first, but Shalia offered her hands and probably found the appropriate words because they embraced each other tightly. He watched them walk away together and relaxed slightly, glad that, at least, Octavia wasn’t alone through this.

*

“Jasper should make a complete recovery.”

“At least one fucking good news,” Bellamy mumbled. He might have been willing to shorten Jasper’s suffering but it didn’t mean he wasn’t glad it wasn’t needed; especially after Atom’s death, it would have been… too much. He brushed his hair away from his face as he glanced at Jasper’s bed. Octavia and Monty were by his side, although he was sleeping. His sister stubbornly refused to glance at him.

“Five deaths in four days,” Clarke summarized somberly. They had found the two others killed by acid fog yesterday afternoon – Bellamy didn’t want to dwell on such a slow and painful death.

“Yeah. Earth didn’t kill us like the Ark feared but it sure as hell isn’t the Promised Land we heard about,” he grumbled, leaning against a wall of the dropship. Grounders, river snake, acid fog… What’s next?

He realized that he had given the princess the perfect opening to start one of her rant, and she didn’t disappointed, mouth already opened to talk his ear off. Fortunately, Shalia appeared and interrupted: “Excuse me…” She glanced at them warily. “Clarke, can I talk to you?”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, arms crossed, surprised and wary that she wanted to talk to the princess.

Shalia sighed and put her hands on her hips – she wasn’t wearing her jacket. “I’m here to talk to the female healer, not… whatever she is when you two are butting head.”

Two snorts came from Jasper’s bed. Monty hid his smirk. Octavia didn’t bother to.

“Sure,” Clarke readily agreed, her demeanor softening as she offered the ear of a healer. “What’s wrong?”

“Aside from the fact that half of the camp is suffering from stomachache in some way or another?”

Clarke winced slightly. “That bad, uh? There isn’t much that I can do, it’s the change of diet, we aren’t used to this type of food. It should go away with time.”

“Yeah, I guessed you’d say that,” Shalia sighed, “at least we have food.” She nodded at Bellamy in acknowledgement for his work. He tilted his head back. “No, the problem I’m here for is that we are screwed.” She pointed at Clarke, Octavia and herself as she said so. “There are ten girls with their periods right now, and we wanted to know if you have any brilliant ideas to deal with that.” She glanced at Bellamy when he just murmured “ah”. She raised an eyebrow. “I was expecting you to flee by now.”

Bellamy shrugged with a lopsided smile. “I helped to raise my sister. How are you doing, Monty?”

“I have an oversharing mother,” Monty replied, raising his hands in a ‘nothing can bother me anymore’ wave. “You can wait for Jasper to wake up if you want the flailing answer.”

“So much grown-up attitudes, I’m impressed. Where were you when I was looking for the smart guys, Monty?”

“Hiding in the corner behind this one,” he patted his best friend’s knee.

Shalia smiled. “That’s why you’re the smart one.” She looked up to Clarke. “We have eleven menstrual cups. The girls had them when we got sent down here. We’re forty-one… no, sorry… forty girls, though two of them didn’t get their first period yet.”

Clarke scratched her cheek as she thought it through. “It’s manageable but not ideal.”

“That’s a way to put it. If we synchronize we’re doomed.”

Clarke raised her eyebrows in a silent agreement. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Bring me to the girls. Did they rinse and boil the cups carefully?”

Shalia led her outside. Octavia followed them promptly. Bellamy had to admit that he was glad to escape the subject and if his little sister found a more appropriate confidant for her personal troubles, he wasn’t going to object.

 

He went to check the progress of the wall and stopped to watch Monroe tie the stakes together. “Nice work,” he noted, impressed by her speed and dexterity.

She glanced at him and shrugged. “Shalia taught me. She used that method for the tents first, after a lot of trials. She invents the weirdest curses, it’s always funny when she’s annoyed.” She moved to the next stakes and wiggled her fingers. “I have tied so many knots I could do it in my sleep. I’m dreaming of knots for fuck’s sake. Next time you go out, can I come with you? I really need a breather.”

“Going out isn’t a walk in the park.”

She glared at him. “I know that! Atom was my friend too,” she mumbled, picking up the next tie. “But I hate being inactive.”

“You’re not. You’re doing good work, we need that palisade.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Yeah. I get it…” He nodded, glancing at her braided hair thoughtfully. She wasn’t passive, but was she good enough to go out anyway? “I’ll think about it,” he promised while turning back.

“Shalia will tell you I’m the best choice.”

He stopped and glanced back. “And why would I care about her opinion?”

Monroe snorted. “If you don’t, you’re stupid. She knows us better than you do. You need her.”

He stepped next to her, leaning a shoulder against the wall, looking around to make sure no-one was listening to them. The other guys working were a few feet away, hammering loudly against a stake. “What makes you think that?” he asked.

She stopped her work to glance at him more warily, probably wondering if she should have stay quiet. “You and the princess,” she started more detached, “you might know more things than us, but you’re still outsiders.”

He squinted. “Is that so?”

Monroe shrugged and replied simply: “You’re doing better than the princess, I guess.”

“Let’s admit you’re right. Why would I need Shalia and not… let’s say, Murphy,” he asked. She guffawed. Right, Murphy wasn’t really the friendly type. Bellamy rectified: “Miller.”

“Miller isn’t a bad choice,” she admitted reluctantly, “he knows most of us, he isn’t a total dick, and people listen to him.”

“But?”

“But Shalia knows everything that happened in the last six years in prison, she has the girls on her side, which you’re sorely lacking, and she’s not hotheaded, contrary to both you and Miller.”

Bellamy hummed. “Thankfully, I have two ears,” he concluded before walking away. “If you want to go out, make sure that wall is done quickly!” he shouted back.

*

A few hours later, he found Shalia working on a new tent, much smaller than his. She was sitting in the middle of it with Charlotte, showing her how to join two small branches. “Hey there,” he called softly, “learning knots, Charlotte?”

“Shalia said it was something I could help with and that I’m good at it,” the little girl answered softly, looking intently at her work.

“Yes, you are, Charlotte,” Shalia patted her hair gently.

“Great. I’m glad you have something to do, Charlotte. It helps to stay busy. Shalia, can I have a word?”

Shalia left her pupil with an encouragement, and he led her aside. The weather was getting cloudy and windy. She had put back on her jacket, which made her looked smaller.

“Monroe has asked to take part in hunts. Do you think she’s able to handle her own?”

Shalia looked surprised that he asked her opinion. She quickly covered it by frowning. “Yes. Why do you ask, though? You accepted any guys in your… militia. Why is she different, because she’s a girl?”

Taken aback, Bellamy struggled to answer: “Those who joined aren’t lightweight…”

“They have muscles so that makes them competent?” she snorted. “Monroe is fast, light on her feet and observant. For hunting, she’s perfect, I think.”

He nodded, knowing when to concede his mistake. “Alright, I’ll take your word for it. Did the princess help with your problem, earlier?”

Hands in her pockets, Shalia spread her elbows. “She gave us advice. There isn’t much she can do, but it’s better than nothing. The list of things we need is so long that it’s not worth dwelling on it.”

“Name the first one going through your mind,” he asked impulsively.

“Clean underwear.”

He snorted, and they smiled at each other.

Rain started to fall. They retreated under the tent where Charlotte was still working as it poured steadily. Bellamy sat by her side. “Are you sleeping better, Charlotte?”

“A little bit…” She hesitated before looking up at her teacher. “Shalia let me sleep next to her last night.”

“Since teddy bears are on the list of things we’re missing, we have to make do,” Shalia noted as she pushed a few stray hairs from the little girl’s eyes.

Bellamy restrained himself from commenting that he knew by experience Shalia was a good sleeping buddy, quiet and still. He was glad that the girls had each other and he made himself scarce as soon as the rain was light enough.

*

He had had first watch that night. It was drizzling steadily and he was way too wet for his comfort. He stepped into his tent, shaking his hair, and froze at the sight waiting for him. Shalia was on his bed, but this wasn’t the sexy kind scenario. She was glaring at him fiercely and Charlotte was sitting on her lap, face hidden against her collarbone.

“What the hell did you told her?! She’s a kid! How did you think that would be a good idea?!”

“What? Slow down, monkey,” he ordered sharply, taking off his jacket. “What are we talking about?”

“You told her to slay her demons,” Shalia hissed.

He sat beside her to remove his shoes. “Yeah, to push away her nightmares…”

“Bellamy, she took it literally!”

He froze with a foot on his knee. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I just stopped her from going to kill Wells!” she murmured low and brought a knife out of her jacket with the hand that wasn’t busy stroking Charlotte’s back.

Bellamy took the weapon mechanically, feeling strangely detached. “You’re kidding.”

“Does it seem funny to you? I saw her leave the tent, I caught sight of the blade and I stopped her to ask where she got it. She was a bubbling mess, it took me ages to make sense of her story. She said she saw Clarke…” She swallowed loudly. “She saw Clarke kill Atom.”

Bellamy blanched. “I told you to go back to camp, Charlotte!”

Charlotte whimpered slightly, her fingers gripping Shalia’s jacket tighter. The eldest rocked her knees to soothe her. “She wanted to kill Wells in the same way. She thinks it’ll make the nightmares go away because you told her so.”

“I did not. She misunderstood me. Charlotte, this is not what I meant!”

Shalia covered Charlotte’s ears with her hands and hissed low at him while glaring: “That was a fucking stupid advice!”

“I never had this problem with Octavia,” was the only thing going through his mind.

“Octavia was a smart girl with a supportive family, not a traumatized one!”

“Fine! I fucked up, okay?!”

“Yes, you did! So make up for it!”

“What do you want me to say?” he asked as Shalia took her hands off Charlotte’s ears.

“The truth! Does killing someone would make her feel better?”

“No. Charlotte, listen…” Bellamy rubbed his face harshly. He was exhausted. “That’s not how it works. You can’t kill someone to feel better. You won’t feel better, you’ll feel worse, you’ll have nightmares, just different ones. It won’t help, Charlotte.” The nightmares didn’t come every night for Bellamy, but he had had them last night. They had been worsened by Atom’s death.

“I just want the nightmares to stop,” Charlotte whined.

“I know, but what I meant is that if you stop being afraid while you’re awake then you’ll sleep better. You have to work on your fears, to surpass them, then they’ll go away.”

“How?” The little girl asked and for the first time she raised her head and glanced at him. Her eyes were red. She looked exhausted, just as much as him, if not worse.

He was looking for an answer to give her, but he was afraid that she’ll misconstrue anything he said. His thoughts were sluggish. He glanced at Shalia in a silent plea for help.

Shalia bit her bottom lip before saying: “When I was sent in prison, I was your age and I was terrified, I had a lot of nightmares too…” She closed her eyes. “... of my dad. I ran away from him when he tried to hurt me and I accidentally provoked an accident… his best friend died because of it." She licked her lips and stared into space. "I thought, for sure, that he was going to find me and kill me for it. I had a lot of nightmares about him walking in my cell at night, which was silly because obviously he couldn’t be there, right? I knew that, but they wouldn’t go away.”

Charlotte slowly raised a hand to dry the tears falling down Shalia’s cheeks. She looked mesmerized. “But they did?”

“Yes, they did. A few months after I was jailed, I became sick, so sick that the doctor didn’t think I’ll survive. They called my father, to give him a chance to say goodbye. I had a fever, a high one, and when he came in, I… I thrashed about and screamed bloody murder. I had to be sedate. When I woke up, felling better, I thought that it had been a nightmare, another one, but the doc… she told me what happened. I had a panic attack then…” She stopped to take a deep breath before concluding: “And the doc told me it’ll be fine. She guessed why I was so afraid, I think. She made sure that my dad couldn’t see me in jail, and she reminded me that when I’ll be out of it, I’ll be an adult, that he won’t be able to hurt me anymore. After that, every time I had a nightmare, I wasn’t alone, someone was stopping him before he could hurt me. And now I accepted that I don’t need someone else to protect me, I just know he can’t hurt me anymore. Just like Jaha can’t hurt you Charlotte, because he’s on the Ark and we’re here, on the ground.” She smoothed Charlotte’s hair. “I know that Wells looks like him and it reminds you of him. Some of the older boys reminded me of my dad too, but they aren’t him. Wells don’t have any power over you, he can’t hurt you. No-one will let him hurt you. We’re here for you, until you’re strong enough to fight your fears on your own.”

Leaning heavily with his arms on his thighs, Bellamy was straining to see Shalia’s expression through the darkness. She looked upset but her voice was steady. He was amazed that she could express herself so well when it obviously cost her a lot.

“I can’t be weak. Weakness is death,” Charlotte recited.

Bellamy winced. He meant this. They couldn’t afford weakness, but...

“Admitting you need help isn’t weakness, it’s lucidity,” Shalia calmly retorted, putting in words what he was only starting to realize. “If we want to survive here, we need each other. Together, we are strong and we can become stronger.”

“What about my parents?” Charlotte asked.

“My mother was floated too,” he said. If Shalia had been honest, he could at least follow her example. “I know it’s hard, how much it hurts and how angry you’re. Maybe you want the chancellor to feel your pain, and you probably feel like you won’t be able to make it through without your parents… but you will because you’re there and, as Shalia said, now you’re not alone. You have to let go of the past, to look forward, that’s the most important thing. We’re on Earth, Charlotte. It sucks sometimes but listen…” Rain was pouring again.

“It’s scary,” Charlotte murmured.

“Yes, it is,” Shalia agreed, “but it’s also beautiful, isn’t it? Octavia showed you the butterflies.” Charlotte nodded against her collarbone and Shalia patted her back. “The best things are just as scary as they’re beautiful.”

Silence settled between them as they listened. Bellamy’s tiredness got the better of him and he sighed. “We’ll discuss it again tomorrow morning. I’m beat.” They looked like they were going to stand up when he undid his pants, so he added: “You can stay here tonight if you don’t want to get drenched.” As for him, he lied down in his T-shirt and boxers, glad to be rid of his wet clothes, and pulled on his blanket. On his side, he watched silently as the girls removed their shoes and jackets. They conferred in a whisper before Shalia lied down first, her back to his chest and opened her arms for Charlotte to snuggle in. Bellamy wrapped the blanket above them all. It was small. He moved closer to Shalia and put an arm around her waist. “Sleep tight,” he wished them before closing his eyes, falling asleep quickly.

 

Whimpers woke him a few hours later – the rain had stopped but it was still dark. Eyes half-opened, he listened as Shalia reassured Charlotte. A few minutes later, as he was drifting back to sleep, the little girl admitted she had to pee. The girls stood up and put back on shoes and jackets as quietly as possible, letting the cold creep back under the cover. Bellamy waited until they were out to sigh, but he was used to his little sister waking up in the middle of the night. He didn’t make a sound when they came back just as discreetly. Shalia smelled like the rain. He buried his nose in her hair and went back to sleep.

 

In the morning, he woke up from a sleep without nightmares and long enough after dawn that he felt rested. He dressed and went to find water and berries. He wasn’t ready to have another talk without anything to sustain him. When he came back, the girls were dressed, putting back on their shoes. They accepted food and water with a word of thanks. Bellamy sat by Shalia’s side.

“Are you going to punish me?” Charlotte finally asked, breaking the silence.

Bellamy shook his head. “You didn’t do anything.”

“I was going to.”

“I know.” He sighed, defeated, and brushed his hair away. “I certainly don’t feel comfortable enough with letting you walk around on your own, that’s for sure.” He glanced at Shalia. She nodded, understanding without a word what he wanted, probably because the same thought was going through her mind. “You’ll stay with Shalia. She’ll make sure you’re not alone. You don’t go wandering on your own anymore, is that clear?” After she nodded, he showed the blade that Shalia gave him last night. It was engraved with ‘JM’. He’ll have to talk to Murphy later. “No more stealing knives either. If you need one, you ask us.”

Charlotte nodded, looking at her feet.

“As for Wells… stay away from him.” He ordered. Shalia wrinkled her nose. He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“We’re in a small camp, Bellamy. One way or another, she’ll see him. Avoiding him won’t make things easier.”

“What do you suggest?”

She hesitated before saying: “A confrontation.”

Charlotte blanched. Bellamy winced. “How would that make things better?”

“Demons don’t exist. Wells is just a boy, and he isn’t his father either. I think Charlotte needs to see that, to face her fear. And… I think Wells should know.”

“Great idea,” Bellamy mocked. "How do you think he’ll react to a little girl wanting to kill him?”

She raised her chin. “Like I would. From what I saw, he’s a lot like me. He’ll be horrified and wary, but he’ll want to make things better.” She looked to Charlotte. “I won’t force you, but I really think it’ll help if you talk to him.”

It’s harder to kill someone you know, someone you had talked to. Bellamy understood that, but he was wary of something going awry.

“You’ll stay with me?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes, I’ll be there,” Shalia promised. Bellamy nodded, already expecting he’ll need to intervene.

 

They found Wells with Clarke – whatever their problem had been, it had obviously been resolved during the acid fog, now they were inseparable. They were talking with Finn, but Bellamy wasn’t in the mood for niceties. “Wells, we need to talk,” he stated, immediately triggering squared shoulders.

Shalia loudly sighed behind him. “What he meant to say is: Wells, we need to talk to you alone, please.”

“Why?” was the twin answer of the princely couple.

Shalia’s hand gripped his shoulder in a silent order to behave. Bellamy rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. Shalia stared at Finn first, who glanced at Clarke and waited for her nod before leaving, then Shalia looked at Clarke, who stared back expectantly. Shalia sighed and glanced at Charlotte, who nodded after a long hesitation. “You can stay Clarke, but let’s go further.”

“What is this about? Why is Charlotte here? Is everything alright?” Clarke asked as soon as they were alone.

Shalia and Bellamy waited for Charlotte to talk. When nothing came, Shalia explained, looking directly at Wells: “Charlotte’s parents were floated a few months ago. She has recurrent nightmares about it, about… Jaha. You remind her of him.” She raised a hand to silence Wells as he opened his mouth. “Let me finish. Yesterday, I stopped Charlotte from leaving our tent and she told me… that she witnessed Atom’s death.” Clarke gasped, but Shalia glared at her until she stayed quiet. “And she told me that… Bellamy had given her an advice that she misinterpreted, to ‘slay her demons’.”

Wary, Wells shifted uneasily. “What are you trying to say?”

“She wanted to kill you while you were on guard yesterday.”

Twin answers of loud disbelief sounded out. Bellamy had to remind them to be quieter as he made sure no-one was around.

“Bellamy and I explained to her it was wrong,” Shalia hastily added. Charlotte had taken a step back, but her elder had a firm hand on her shoulder. “But I think you had a right to know, and she needs to confront her fears.” She crouched by the little girl side. “Look up Charlotte, look at him,” she whispered. When she stubbornly refused, Shalia persisted: “You can’t expect your nightmares to go away if you can’t face your fears when you’re awake Charlotte. You were ready to make a mistake but you didn’t. Look at Wells. He’s not his father, he won’t hurt you.”

Wells stepped forward slowly and crouched in front of her. “Hey. I’m sorry about your parents,” he said tentatively, “I understand that it hurts, that you’re angry and upset. If I could help, I would, and if you want me to stay away from you, it’s okay, I will.”

“Aren’t you… angry?” Charlotte asked, looking up slowly.

“I’m not. Shocked and a little worried, I have to admit, but not angry.”

“Why?”

“Because… we are all doing what we can, to deal with life… You’re so young, but you’ve already been hurt a lot. I only feel sad.”

The tears came to Charlotte’s eyes suddenly. She bawled “I’m sorry!” and hold on to Shalia’s neck, repeating “so sorry” over and over. Bellamy watched from a few steps away as Wells and Shalia tried to comfort her.

Clarke walked to him and asked in a whisper: “Do you really think she would have done it?”

“Honestly?” He stared at the shaking little girl. A few days ago, his answer would have been no, but a few days ago he couldn’t imagine she would even think about it. “I don’t know.”

“This is madness Bellamy. It can’t go on like this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s a pre-teen, she needs references, rules, not being subjected to the others insulting Wells, pretending he’s his father, beating each other and using violence like it’s no big deal!”

“Of course, you jump on the opportunity…” Bellamy groused.

“Tell me there’s no connection, that being subjected to this doesn’t explain at least why she thought killing someone was a valid solution to her problem!”

“So what?!”

“If we're gonna survive down here, we can't just live by ‘whatever the hell we want’. We need rules.”

“Your rules?”

“Our rules.”

“Ours, uh? And what happens if we don’t agree?”

Clarke hesitated, glanced at the three others who had calmed down and were listening to them. “We ask Shalia to decide. We both trust her.”

Taken aback, Bellamy glanced at Shalia. She was wide-eyed. In her arms, Charlotte was sniffling. She looked fragile, but Bellamy shuddered to think what would have happened if Shalia hadn’t stopped her yesterday night. “Alright,” he agreed.

Clarke offered her hand. He shook it.

“I’ll get tired of leaders’ counseling,” Shalia muttered.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on lunaemoth.tumblr.com


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